A few things about 919
Apr. 26th, 2014 04:31 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
citrus_javaI generally love strong alpha Dean, pissed off at Bela, pulling his tie off Dean, knee-meltingly Dommy Dean, as well as self-hating Dean. But in this episode I really didn't feel it. Somehow it lacked the vibe, lacked something. Prhaps Jensen wasn't feeling it, perhaps it was the writing or the emotional arc.
However, there were two moments I find interesting in this "going dark" piece of plot. The first was Dean telling Sam he knew Sam wouldn't have done the same for him. Which - I'm not sure whether it was Dean disconnecting himself emotionally, telling himself he couldn't allow monsters to use that vulnerable spot against him so he needed to make it mundane, or Dean knowingly taking Sam's boundary to the extreme and trying to push his buttons about it. Or both. It was definitely a new shade of dark, though, IMO.
The second - I wonder how long Dean was lying there, pretending to be knocked out, while they drained Sam. That was a whole lot of blood taken out of him, I wonder how he managed to function that well like that. Dean didn't do something reckless and emotional to save Sam, at least for a while he just waited. Which was smart, but pretty cold. Or possibly very emotional for him. I don't know.
At any rate, I could have gone for some disoriented-from-blood-loss!Sam/Protective-strong!Dean in that scene.
I generally don't connect to Jody very much, but this episode made me like her better. Her whole thoughtful, aware, feminist attitude. The whole - trying to deal with the boys' bullshit "she's a femme fatal and should be killed" attitude, trying to explain to these idiots about compassion, false awareness, something. Really, Sam? Nothing, even from our great enlightened guy hope? Ugh. I had a Punch a Winchester Moment of the Week . Also, earlier - Sam, when a person tells you her name, you don't say "no, it isn't". Jerk.
On the brighter side of things - hair pulling! Ugh, yes please, kink, yes.
Killabeez reminded me - the whole scene in which Sam criticized Dean's pleasure in the hunting, I was off somewhere, since the scene started with Sam saying "look at me, bitch", and it took me a moment to get that is wasn't Sam being super forceful and *calling Dean a bitch*! Which would have been more interesting!
However, there were two moments I find interesting in this "going dark" piece of plot. The first was Dean telling Sam he knew Sam wouldn't have done the same for him. Which - I'm not sure whether it was Dean disconnecting himself emotionally, telling himself he couldn't allow monsters to use that vulnerable spot against him so he needed to make it mundane, or Dean knowingly taking Sam's boundary to the extreme and trying to push his buttons about it. Or both. It was definitely a new shade of dark, though, IMO.
The second - I wonder how long Dean was lying there, pretending to be knocked out, while they drained Sam. That was a whole lot of blood taken out of him, I wonder how he managed to function that well like that. Dean didn't do something reckless and emotional to save Sam, at least for a while he just waited. Which was smart, but pretty cold. Or possibly very emotional for him. I don't know.
At any rate, I could have gone for some disoriented-from-blood-loss!Sam/Protective-strong!Dean in that scene.
I generally don't connect to Jody very much, but this episode made me like her better. Her whole thoughtful, aware, feminist attitude. The whole - trying to deal with the boys' bullshit "she's a femme fatal and should be killed" attitude, trying to explain to these idiots about compassion, false awareness, something. Really, Sam? Nothing, even from our great enlightened guy hope? Ugh. I had a Punch a Winchester Moment of the Week . Also, earlier - Sam, when a person tells you her name, you don't say "no, it isn't". Jerk.
On the brighter side of things - hair pulling! Ugh, yes please, kink, yes.
Killabeez reminded me - the whole scene in which Sam criticized Dean's pleasure in the hunting, I was off somewhere, since the scene started with Sam saying "look at me, bitch", and it took me a moment to get that is wasn't Sam being super forceful and *calling Dean a bitch*! Which would have been more interesting!
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Date: 2014-04-26 01:45 am (UTC)I had similar thoughts about Dean playing possum, and how long he'd been doing so.
I liked Dean's line to Sam because it was so dysfunctional. What I didn't like: the way Sam questioned him on his behavior. That didn't ring true for me. Because, yeah, nothing new in terms of Dean taking pleasure in killing. That scene seemed like (ineffectual) shorthand.
The rest of the episode really worked for me. ♥ ♥ Jody! ♥ ♥ This was the best Jody episode yet, IMO.
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Date: 2014-04-26 01:49 am (UTC)And you reminded me of another thing - the whole scene in which Sam criticized Dean's pleasure in the hunting, I was off somewhere, since the scene started with Sam saying "look at me, bitch", and it took me a moment to get that is wasn't Sam being super forceful and *calling Dean a bitch*! Which would have been more interesting!
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Date: 2014-04-26 01:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-04-26 01:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-04-26 02:00 am (UTC)LOL, because I can totally see Sam actually saying that.
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Date: 2014-04-26 02:05 am (UTC)I could see Dean actually doing that!
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Date: 2014-04-26 02:22 am (UTC)In my mind he had only just started to come around and waited for the opportunity to attack. I think, even though Dean is turning dark side he wouldn't have been able to just lie there and let Sam be bled. He dropped his knife pretty damn quickly when he saw that Sam was threatened. I think their behaviour (Dean responding to Sam in trouble and Sam being massively concerned for the way Dean is changing) shows that even though they are at odds with each other their brotherly instincts are there (or...that's the only way I can cope with it all at the moment...to believe that!).
Sam and Dean both came across as fairly callous in this episode. We saw a lot of this from Jody's POV so we were seeing just how tainted these two are. Sam is losing his compassionate touch and Dean is...well, Dean seems to be loosing everything.
The dialogue at the end (Sam showing concern for Dean's enjoying the killing) was pretty lame and disappointing. Dean has always enjoyed killing monsters - I think the difference here is how much Dean seemed to enjoy the power of it - making the monster look at him as he killed him. That was pretty chilling (perhaps Sam should have said he was worried about how much he was getting off on it. It was a power trip).
And Dom!Dean = YUM! My fav...;))
no subject
Date: 2014-04-26 02:32 am (UTC)That's likely, and also - I get the need for it, really...
We saw a lot of this from Jody's POV so we were seeing just how tainted these two are
That's a good point. Perhaps it was intentional criticism, from the women's POVs... OTOH, Jody told them they were right, in the end of the episode... ugh!
As for the dialogue - such a pity, I like the new guy, he wrote two nice episodes before this one...
I think the difference here is how much Dean seemed to enjoy the power of it - making the monster look at him as he killed him. That was pretty chilling (perhaps Sam should have said he was worried about how much he was getting off on it. It was a power trip).
Yeah...
"Deeeeeeeeean! You said you only did that with meeeee!"
no subject
Date: 2014-04-26 03:27 am (UTC)Yes, that was interesting. I think she was mostly talking about how close she was to it all - emotionally. It worked out in the end, but if it hadn't have done then she was admitting that she was too close to it and might not have been acting rationally. Which, I think, is a comment to how emotions can effect the way we see things (including the Winchesters). The boys have a lot of experience under their belts and have learned that being sympathetic can land you in trouble. It's also meant they have become more detached and wary.
As for the dialogue - such a pity, I like the new guy, he wrote two nice episodes before this one...
Most of it was excellent. I think he's now my fav writer. :) I think that dialogue fell flat because we (as in long term fans) have good knowledge of the past. I think it was mostly done to signal Sam's concern for Dean and acknowledging how Dean is changing (hee- which we could easily see without Sam saying anything...).
no subject
Date: 2014-04-26 09:50 pm (UTC)I agree that Jody said the guys were right, in connection to being (too) emotionally involved, but they really didn't need to include that line. As for emotions, the way I read what happened is that Jody's emotions led her to save Alex and do "the right things", where the Winchesters' "rationality" would have led them to end the life of someone who'd suffered a lot, while blaming her for it. As far as I'm concerned, Jody's emotions were an asset.
I think that dialogue fell flat because we (as in long term fans) have good knowledge of the past
I agree, and I do like the guy's writing (though my fav writer on the show today is definitely Robby).
But is it really that much to ask, for a writer on the show to actually get to know canon, if not fanon (and also fanon,,,)?
Or, OK, if he's not a regular maybe he isn't free to get to know canon - at least the show runner should take care of the continuity and depth of the characters? Ugh. [/ rant ]
I think it was mostly done to signal Sam's concern for Dean and acknowledging how Dean is changing (hee- which we could easily see without Sam saying anything...).
Agreed.